Liquid bowed out of the BLAST Bounty 2025 Season 2 Finals in Malta after falling 0–2 to the reigning world champions Vitality. For Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek’s team, it was another painful defeat, but for the first time in a long while, it didn’t feel like a step backward. On the contrary, the match showed that Liquid are finally ready to look the very best teams in the eye. Much of the credit goes to coach Viktor “flashie” Tamás Bea, who, despite the sting of elimination, made no secret of his pride in the squad
Two Maps, Two Different Stories — Same Result
On Train, Liquid had a disastrous start: lost pistols, broken economy, and a 3–11 halftime score. Usually, teams collapse in such situations against Vitality, but this time the North American side showed resilience. They strung together a run of important rounds, forced their opponents into mistakes, and even pushed the game into overtime. Still, the final word remained with the “bees” — 16–13.
On Nuke, the script was almost reversed. Liquid started strong, controlled the pace, and even created four match points. At one stage, victory seemed inevitable. But that was precisely where the difference between a team still searching for its identity and a championship-caliber squad like Vitality emerged. Experience, composure, and the brilliance of ZywOo in clutch situations sealed the map 19–16 and the series 2–0.
Flashie: “We Showed Good CS”
For flashie, this match was proof that Liquid are on the right path.
We can see that we are able to compete, and that’s a very good sign. Games like this will help us in the future. It hurts now because we had our chances, but I will tell the boys that I’m proud of how they played today. This is what we’ve been striving for since I joined — to show good CS. And today, we showed good CS.
Indeed, unlike many of Liquid’s previous defeats, this time the team played boldly. They took fights, grabbed the initiative, tried to control the economy — and in key moments, they didn’t look like passengers in the game, but genuine equals to their opponents.
Lessons of Defeat: Composure and Experience
Flashie identified the main issue clearly — a lack of calm in clutch moments:
We were a bit panicky and skipped steps, which is why Vitality could win situations like the 4vs2. But experiences like this will make us stronger.
That was especially visible on Nuke. Liquid twice had the game in their hands, but haste, lost weapons in crucial rounds, and poor economy opened the door for Vitality. Yet, the very fact that Liquid pushed the world’s top-ranked team to the brink is a serious message to the scene.
Inside the Team Atmosphere
After months of criticism — including even Twistzz’s social media comments about the team “not playing like a team” — hearing a different message from the coach was vital:
The team is in a good place. We always try to play as one unit, and most of the time we succeed, though it’s not always reflected in the results. Now the most important thing is not to stop. The key is to remain humble, keep working, and keep our goals in front of us.
And it’s hard to disagree. Liquid are starting to look more like a cohesive unit rather than just a collection of stars.
Community Reaction
Fans actively discussed Liquid’s showing after the match. Opinions were mixed, but the overall tone leaned positive.
- GloryMole noted: “It’s not just the result. They genuinely looked better than Vitality in the game, and that’s quite an achievement.”
- hoangii joked: “Siuhy was saving his real strats for the Major.”
- Other users praised Liquid’s fighting spirit, their comebacks, and even mocked some of Vitality’s nervous mistakes.
- There was also criticism, with fans pointing out the lack of composure in decisive moments that once again left the team empty-handed.
Still, after a long stretch of struggles, it felt like the community finally believed again — that Liquid have genuine potential.
Looking Ahead
Elimination from the tournament is always painful. But there are defeats that destroy, and defeats that build. For Liquid, the match against Vitality seems to fall into the second category. The team showed fight, and flashie’s words made it clear: this roster hasn’t spoken its last word.
Today it wasn’t enough to win, but next time it will be.
Liquid leave Malta without a playoff victory, but with an important lesson and renewed inspiration. If they can build on this loss, future tournaments might well mark the renaissance of Liquid.
